The designer Rena Dumas apparently applied the same rigour and standards to every project she tackled, from coffee cups through to luxury apartment stores. LEGO builder Deborah Higdon has adopted the same approach in her recreation of two of Dumas’ furniture designs — just take a look at the intricate brickwork involved in these two pieces…
The new LEGO Vidiyo theme may not be the most popular among adult builders, but it has certainly introduced builders to some unusual large but potentially versatile parts. In Tom Loftus’s own words, every part is a spaceship part, which he set out to prove, and did quite a top-notch job. This fighter is built around the lime-green base from the pods that serve as the central element of each set.
The grooves designed to fit extra tiles make great cooling vents, and just to show that this chunky fighter can also pour on the speed, there are plenty of thrusters squeezed on to the backs of each engine pod.
Here is one fearsome looking fighter. Created by Nobu Tary, this monochromatic model incorporates some interesting techniques into its design. The main helmet uses an armour piece, previously featured in the LEGO Reinhardt model. Engine cylinders form the lower section of the helmet, providing this build with a bullish appearance. In terms of the axe, the light grey at the blade’s edge contrasts nicely against dark grey which makes up the rest of the weapon. This creation demonstrates you don’t always need masses of vibrant colours to construct an impressive model. Instead, Nobu has conveyed the importance of parts usage in order to create a model with great shape and form.
There is something special about a scene that not only tells a story but triggers your imagination to see the entire world beyond what you are looking at. Heavily understated and humbly set, this scene is masterfully staged by builder W. Navarre.
Once your mind recalls that you are looking at a LEGO creation, you will feel the need to explore further and look deeper. This is when you will notice the technicality that is cloaked by the emotional connection to the scene. The bridge that draws your focus is indeed one amazing build on its own. With parts facing in just about every angle on the protractor and the clever placement of the slopes aids the design, ensuring a great visual aesthetic to the bridge. The technical candy does not stop there! For those hungry for more, your eyes soon move beyond the bridge and over the fields… then onto the mountain range in the background. It is here that you see more creative usage of curved slope pieces to help form the chiselled yet visually pleasing features of the distant mountains. The colour choices only build this further creating a clever and realistic sense of depth.
You can see the original TBB article on this build here
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In addition to the amazing LEGO models created by builders all over the world, The Brothers Brick brings you the best LEGO news and reviews. This is our weekly Brick Report for the first week of September 2021.
TBB NEWS AND REVIEWS We enjoyed a hearty week of official LEGO news here at TBB! Another microscale football stadium set was revealed and reviewed, and a new rendition of the fearsome Batmobile Tumbler was announced. In addition, LEGO shared the news of a new pilot program for products in alternative color schemes and sizes. We also chatted with another round of departed contestants from Season 2 of the US LEGO Masters show.
I sometimes wonder what it would be like to be in the mind of LEGO builder Mihai Marius Mihu. He is an artist who seems to exist in a dark, hellish world that’s part H.R. Giger, part H.P. Lovecraft and part Wayne Douglas Barlowe. In other words, he’s precisely the type of person I’d love to have a beer with. Take, for example, this new creation, an Alien Maintenance Bay. In his own words, the bay “is the infirmary of the Mothership, a ward for diagnosing and repairing of the damaged Glider units that were able to return from combat.” The whole structure oozes alien biomechanical menace. With astounding textures and smart color trapping, it’s a masterpiece from an incomprehensible distant world. He also tells us that in the year 2033 mankind is struggling to survive after an overwhelming alien invasion. That’s only like twelve years away! Looks like we’re in for a dreary future. Or maybe we won’t even know it because we’d all be assimilated into their creeptastic alien agenda.
Seriously, Mihai if you’re ever in the Seattle area look me up, you’ve got a local microbrew coming to you on me. And adversely if I’m ever in Romania, I’ll be sure to visit Dracula’s Castle and your place, which I wouldn’t doubt may very well be one in the same.
In the last few years, I have been building a range of LEGO minifigure-scale missiles and missile launchers. They range from cruise missiles launchers to ICBMs. My latest model is a so-called TELAR, part of the Soviet surface-to-air missile system called “Buk” (Russian: “Бук”; English “beech”). NATO calls it the SA-11 “Gadfly”. Soviet military doctrine emphasized integration between ground forces and their air defenses. Because of this, many Soviet surface-to-air missile systems used tracked vehicles, so that they could move together with the ground forces.
TELAR stands for a transporter-erector-launcher and radar. The name covers what it does quite nicely. The Buk TELAR carries four missiles on top of its turret, on rails that can be erected before launch. It has its own missile guidance radar in a dome at the front of its turret. The crew sits inside the armored hull below. Usually, such TELARs operate together with a few others, as well as a command post and a surveillance radar, which also are tracked vehicles. But, because it has its own radar, it can also operate on its own. Like most of my LEGO builds, it is not actually all that tough, though. It is only tough in the sense of that I found building a minifigure scale armored and tracked vehicle tough going. So, my hat is off to all of you out there who build minifigure-scale armor. This is one of the first times I have done it and I really struggled to keep it small enough. I wanted the scale to look right with the minifigure soldier next standing next to it. As a result, there is so little space inside that I could only fit a driver. And, like most of my builds, the model is actually quite flimsy. In fact, none of my models from the last ten years or so would ever be suitable as a child’s toy, even those that aren’t weapons of war. However, I do like the end result; it is a unique addition to my collection.
The Freemasons are a super-secret fraternal organization that apparently rules the world and everyone’s dad seems to be a member. Regardless of who they are and what they do exactly, you have to admit they have some cool iconography. Season one LEGO Masters contestant Aaron Newman has been commissioned by the Scottish Rite Masons of Lexington, Massachusetts to build their double-headed eagle logo. I’m in awe of the ruffled textures of the eagle achieved by leaving the studs exposed in some places while covering them in layered tiles in others. The sword and banner are certainly not without their charms but I’m most impressed by the “33” encased inside an equilateral triangle. This is a shape not easily achieved in LEGO but Aaron does it with finesse. The crown and even the eagle itself seem to be floating in space and this is achieved and is quite structurally sound, thanks to the use of transparent Technic beams.
Be sure to check out the video as Aaron explains the model more in-depth. And while you’re admiring this build yourselves, go ahead and forward this article to your dads and they will likely respond in turn with a knowing yet solemn nod.
Did you know that the Rebel Alliance’s Medical Frigate began its life in the service of the Empire? LEGO builder Remco Rohaan shares his latest masterpiece, the Imperial Nebulon-B Frigate.
It’s an established fact in the Star Wars lore that the Nebulon-B Frigate, first seen at the end of The Empire Strikes Back, was a ship built by the Empire but stolen by the Rebellion. Yet we’ve never seen the Nebulon-B during its time as an Imperial warship. Thanks to fan art creators like EC Henry and Fractal Sponge, we’ve been able to get a glimpse of what the Nebulon-B must have looked like before it fell into the hands of “Rebel scum.” Now, we have the privilege of seeing the ship in LEGO form.
Clearly, this looks like an Imperial warship. The armor plating, command bridge, and TIE fighter-style wings give off really strong Empire vibes. Speaking of armor plating, I just love how much there is. The Rebel version of the Nebulon-B has a considerable amount of armor removed, which is typical of Rebel spacecraft.
Builder Remco Rohaan also included digital instructions of his Imperial Nebulon-B on his Flickr page but also check out this quick video of it being assembled
https://www.flickr.com/photos/remcorohaan/51408124868/
Here’s an image of his Imperial Nebulon-B to scale with the Rebel version, an Imperial Gozanti freighter, and an Imperial shuttle.
All the best superheroes have a cool base of operations. The Batcave, the Fortress of Solitude, an aunt’s apartment in Queens. But the best (or at least the poshest) superhero base has got to be Tony Stark’s seaside estate, and the Hall of Armor contained within. And it’s no wonder so many LEGO builders are working up custom versions of Stark’s Hall of Armor. What better way to put those multiple armor minifigures on display? But, to make a proper Hall of Armor, you need to surround Tony with all of his toys. Thankfully, KosBrick has come to the rescue with enough tutorials to fill a mansion in Malibu.
We’re talking high-tech gadgets, top-of-the-line computers, classic cars…the works.
Click through to learn the secrets of Stark Industries.
Stitch is an adorably cuddly alien lost on Earth, and as the weirdest blue teddy bear he’s rather difficult to translate into LEGO. But this bust by Joffre Zheng is fantastic, capturing his expressive eyebrows and ears with ease, while also employing a variety of shades of blue. Joffre says the internal structure consists mainly of Mixel ball joints, which help him achieve the odd angles of many of the pieces, like the quarter circles for the eyebrows.
LEGO builder Dan Rubin tells us that he had wanted to build something with teal (aka Dark Turquoise) for a long time. Along comes this Basilisk craft which was his first appempt at anything teal. I’d say his first attempt knocked it out of the park especially with the elegant shaping and greebly accents. All that teal looks great against the marigold (or bright yellow-orange), it gives it sort of a rockabilly/surf rock feel.
Great job, Dan! This is your well-earned chance to…basilisk in the sun. This is probably an inopportune time to point out that puns are the lowest form of humor and a sign of brain damage. I should probably look into that then. Whatever! Just check out this craft from all the good angles.